Taiwan Church News

3307 Edition

July 13 - 19, 2015

Church Ministry

Though Short Of Fund, An Early Intervention & Inclusive Education Center Is Started At Tainan

Reported by Hwang Yi-lek

To start an early intervention and inclusive education as soon as possible, Father Brendan O'Connell of Bethelehem Foundation decided to build a four-story building for the disabled children. Though still short of fund, a ground breaking ceremony was held at the Hsueh-jia district of Tainan on July 7. Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-der and the Catholic Bishop Bosco Lin Chi-nan were invited to witness this significant event.

Seeing Bethlehem Foundation expressed their thanksgiving by tying a red butterfly knot on the wrist of every paricipant, Mayor Lai Chin-der, who donated NT$ 5 million from his own election subsidy for this building, expressed emotionally that in fact he is the man who should give the most high appreciation and salute to Father Brendan O'Connell for his 52 years' relentless service for the disabled children in Tainan. Mayor Lai wished more children could be blessed and cared after this center is finished.

Ms Tsai Ing-chu, Chief Executive of Love Hope Foundation, reported that an estimated budget of this Early Intervention & Inclusive Education Center was about NT$ 108 million. Deducting the already raised money of NT$ 88 million, the remaining NT$ 30 million are scheduled to be raised during the construction interval. After the blessing of Bishop Bosco Lin Chi-nan, the invited guests and the children of Merciful Mother Kindergarten shoved the soil together and wished the construction smooth and well.

The Bethlehem Foundation, which is a Catholic social welfare institute, aims to provide services to children with developmental delays under the age of six, in an inclusive educational program and accompany their parents in the acceptance of one another. With the public's support, in March 1997, the Bethlehem Foundation was registered as a legal person. Father Brendan O'Connell, as a pioneer of inclusive education for the disabled children in Taiwan, expects to motivate the foundation's service to these children and parents, bringing them power and hope while at the same time foster the public's recognition and acceptance.

Translated by Peter Wolfe